OVERVIEW
Minnesota Historical Society
Minnesota.
Regional Transit Board.
Records.
1972-1999
(bulk 1984-1994).
Materials in English.
Records of the Regional Transit Board (RTB), the body
legislated to administer the transit needs of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. The
materials document the organization, administration, operation, and dissolution of the
board, including its relationship to the Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC), its role
in trying to bring light rail transit to the area, and its various programs involving
short-range transit planning, particularly those involving the handicapped and
elderly.
12.8 cu. ft. (13 boxes).
See [Detailed Description](a9) for shelf
locations.
HISTORICAL NOTE
The Regional Transit Board (RTB) was established in 1984 by the Minnesota Legislature to
administer the transit needs of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, particularly
short-range planning and a light rail transit project [Laws 1984 c654 art3]. It was
granted all of the powers of the Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC), which it
superseded for transit planning and oversight functions. The RTB's membership consisted
of 14 people elected by the Metropolitan Council of the Twin Cities Area, and one
chairman appointed by the governor. Among its first assignments, the RTB was required to
develop a transit service implementation plan to carry out the Metropolitan Council's
transit policy plan. In 1985, the RTB's membership was reduced to nine members [Laws
1985 1Sp10 s94 d4].
In 1987, the RTB's purpose was redefined to cover the following: 1) to foster effective
delivery of existing transit services and encourage innovation in transit service; 2) to
prepare implementation and financial plans for the metropolitan transit system; 3) to
set policies and standards for implementing the transit policies and programs of the
state and the transit policies of the Metropolitan Council in the metropolitan area; 4)
to conduct transit research and evaluation; and 5) to administer state and metropolitan
transit subsidies [Laws 1987 c278 s11 d1a]. Two years later, increasing transit services
to suburban areas and working cooperatively to coordinate all transit modes and increase
the availability of transit services were added to its duties [Laws 1989 c339 s7 d1a].
As overseer of light rail transit, the RTB was ordered to prepare regional coordination,
development, and financial plans [Laws 1989 c339 s12 d1-3]. The Legislature created the
Joint Light Rail Transit Advisory Committee to aid the RTB in planning and coordinating
light rail facilities and activities [Laws 1989 c339 s13 d1] and the Light Rail Transit
Joint Powers Board to implement light rail design and construction [Laws 1991 c298 art7
s8].
The RTB was also charged with providing services to all metropolitan area residents. In
1991, the Paratransit Advisory Committee was created to aid the RTB through
investigation of transit accessibility for the handicapped and elderly [Laws 1991 c298
art7 s9 d1].
In 1994, the RTB, as well as the MTC, was abolished and all its duties,
responsibilities, property, interests, and obligations were transferred to the
Metropolitan Council, to be assumed by the Council's newly created Transportation
Division [Laws 1994 c628 art2 s4 d1].
SCOPE AND CONTENTS
The records include the board's annual reports; minutes and agenda packets of both the
board and many of its committees and advisory groups, particularly those involving
administration and finance, legislation, marketing, policy, local officials, and
paratransit; subject files and publications; and MTC background files.
The subject files and publications include audits, budgets, contracts, environmental
impact statements, funding and grant materials, legal opinions, legislative documents,
planning initiatives, resolutions, maps, studies, information packets, reports, and
brochures. Topics covered include the I-494 and I-35E reconstruction, a 1991 Ilium
Associates marketing study of bus ridership, federal funding, Metropolitan Rideshare,
public transit, and light rail transit.
The MTC background files mainly detail projects and programs later (post-1984) run
through the RTB. They contain budgets, correspondence, meeting summaries, program
studies, and guidelines and policies relating to such topics as buses, waiting
shelters, community development, interstate highways, and transit planning. There are
also files relating to the transportation development program and the Transportation
Advisory Board.
ARRANGEMENT
Arranged in the following subseries: annual reports (1985-1989, 1992-1994), agenda
packets and minutes (1984-1994), committee agenda packets and minutes (1984-1999),
subject files (1979-1994), publications (1985-1996), and Metropolitan Transit Commission
background files (1972-1994).
CATALOG HEADINGS
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota
Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics should search the
catalog using these headings.
Topics:
Bus lines -- Ridership -- Minnesota -- Twin Cities
Metropolitan Area.
Bus stops -- Minnesota -- Twin Cities Metropolitan
Area.
Environmental impact statements -- Minnesota -- Twin
Cities Metropolitan Area.
Express highways -- Minnesota -- Twin Cities Metropolitan
Area.
Federal aid to transportation -- Minnesota -- Twin Cities
Metropolitan Area.
Local transit -- Minnesota -- Twin Cities Metropolitan
Area -- Marketing.
Local transit -- Minnesota -- Twin Cities Metropolitan
Area -- Planning.
Local transit -- Minnesota -- Twin Cities Metropolitan
Area -- Research.
Local transit -- Minnesota -- Twin Cities Metropolitan
Area -- Ridership.
Metropolitan areas -- Minnesota -- Planning.
Older people -- Transportation -- Minnesota -- Twin Cities
Metropolitan Area.
Paratransit services -- Minnesota -- Twin Cities
Metropolitan Area.
People with disabilities -- Transportation -- Minnesota --
Twin Cities Metropolitan Area.
Ridesharing -- Minnesota -- Twin Cities Metropolitan
Area.
Street-railroads -- Minnesota -- Twin Cities Metropolitan
Area.
Urban transportation policy -- Minnesota -- Twin Cities
Metropolitan Area -- Citizen participation.
Organizations:
Ilium Associates.
Metropolitan Transit
Commission.
Minnesota. Transportation Advisory
Board.
Minnesota. Paratransit Advisory
Committee.
Places:
Interstate 494.
Interstate 35.
Functions:
Planning.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Regional
Transit Board. Records. Minnesota Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional
examples.
Accession Information:
Accession number: 2000-22; 2001-41; 2008-1
Processing Information:
Processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with a Basic Project grant
awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).
Catalog ID number: 001736794
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Annual reports:
112.B.11.15B
1985-1989, 1992-1994.
Agenda packets and minutes:
These files contain a combination of signed record copy minutes and photocopied
versions, and may or may not include the reports and other support documents
reviewed at the individual meetings. They may also contain scattered minutes of
the board's various committees, particularly the Committee of the Whole, the
Administration and Finance Committee, and the Policy Committee. When the
researcher encounters gaps in the individual committee files, the corresponding
files in this series should be checked.
112.B.11.15B
July-December 1984.
15 folders.
1985.
26 folders.
January-February 1986.
4 folders.
112.B.11.16F
March-December 1986.
22 folders.
1987.
3 folders.
1988.
3 folders.
1989.
2 folders.
1990.
2 folders.
1991.
112.B.12.1B
1992.
4 folders.
1993.
31 folders.
January 1- August 11, 1994.
22 folders.
112.B.12.2F
August 15-26, 1994.
3 folders.
August 26 was the final meeting.
Committee agenda packets and minutes:
The majority of the following files are incomplete. They also contain a
combination of signed record copy minutes and photocopied versions, and may or may
not include the reports and other support documents reviewed at the individual
meetings. As stated above, the board's agenda packets and minutes often contain
minutes of the various committees and gaps in the following series should be
compared against those files.
112.B.12.2F
Administration and Finance Committee:
September 1984-1989.
17 folders.
112.B.12.3B
1990-1994.
15 folders.
The later years are incomplete.
Audit Advisory Committee,
1989-1994.
4 folders.
Committee of the Whole:
1984-1989.
18 folders.
112.B.12.4F
1990-1994.
31 folders.
Legislative Committee,
1985, 1990-1994.
15 folders.
Light Rail Transit, Ad Hoc Committee,
July 1988-June 1989.
Local Officials Advisory Committee,
1990-1993.
7 folders.
Includes one folder of miscellaneous correspondence.
Marketing Committee,
1990-1992.
15 folders.
Nominating Committee,
January 6, 1994.
Para-Transit Advisory Committee,
1991.
4 folders.
Policy Committee:
1985.
3 folders.
112.B.12.5B
1986-1994.
29 folders.
126.J.8.5B
Providers Advisory Committee:
1987-1995.
17 folders.
112.J.9.8F
1996-March 1999.
49 folders.
No meeting held in February 1996.
Committee name changed from Providers Advisory Committee (PAC) to Transit
Providers Advisory Committee (TPAC) in September 1997.
126.J.8.5B
Rideshare Advisory Committee,
1985-1993.
2 folders.
112.J.9.8F
Transportation Accessibility Advisory Committee (TAAC):
January 1990-June 1992.
21 folders.
No meeting held in July 1991.
112.J.9.9B
July 1992-May 1995.
45 folders.
Missing August and September 1994.
112.J.9.10F
June 1995-March 1999.
69 folders.
No meeting held in October 1998.
126.J.8.5B
Miscellaneous committees,
1988-1989.
Subject Files:
Files documenting the work of the RTB, including audit reports, budgets,
contracts, 1992 I-494 reconstruction environmental impact statements, funding and
grant materials, a 1991 Ilium Associates marketing study, legal opinions,
legislative documents, planning initiatives, resolutions, and related
correspondence, reports, and background data.
126.J.8.5B
Annual audits,
1984, 1986, 1992, and 1994.
2 folders.
Board legislation,
1984.
Borrowing authorities,
1985.
Budget,
1985-1987, 1993-1994.
5 folders.
Contracts,
1985-1986.
Environmental impact statement: I-494 reconstruction,
April 1992.
10 folders.
Escrow agreement,
1985.
Financial plan,
1986-1987.
Funding and grants:
Bonding issues,
1985-1986.
2 folders.
Capital bond debt,
1985.
Federal aid urban (FAU) program,
1985.
Federal aid urban (FAU) projects and reports,
1985-1987.
Federal transit funding,
1984-1985.
Policy and procedure for depositories and investments.
Regional transit public trust act,
1987.
Tax anticipated certificates issue,
1985.
Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA) grant,
1984.
126.J.8.6.F
Ilium Associates 1991 marketing study:
Data file: Bus riders.
1 volume.
Data file: Non-riders.
1 volume.
Data file: Potential riders.
1 volume.
Data file: General community.
1 volume.
Data file: Former riders.
1 volume.
Consumer research results.
Significant findings and recommendations.
Interstate 35E highway reconstruction demonstration project,
1986.
Legal opinions,
1984-1987.
2 folders.
Legislation:
Executive summary,
1985.
Federal transit legislation,
1985-1986.
Legislative audit,
1987.
Legislative commission on metropolitan transit,
1984-1985.
Legislative initiatives,
1987.
Legislative programs,
1985-1986.
2 folders.
Metropolitan Rideshare,
1979-1984.
Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC) legislative program,
1985.
Regional transit legislation,
1984-1986.
Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC) operational overview,
1985.
Planning initiatives,
1984-1986.
1 folder and 1 volume.
Pricing study,
1985.
Property tax levy,
1985-1986.
Regional transit program development,
1984.
Remote sensing of vehicle emissions final report,
1994.
Resolution logs,
1984-1994.
Resolutions,
1984-1994.
4 folders.
112.J.9.10F
Transportation Accessibility Advisory Committee,
1990-1994.
Appeals Committee,
1990-1991.
Information about committee,
1992-1994.
4 folders.
Metro Mobility survey,
1993-1994.
Metro Mobility-ATE Management & Service Company,
1993-1994.
Metro Mobility subcommittee reports,
1992-1994.
Publications:
Two sets of chronologically arranged publications: miscellaneous and those related
to light rail transit.
126.J.8.6F
Miscellaneous:
Transit guide to north Minneapolis bus service; Transit guide to
south Minneapolis bus service.
2 items in folder.
Twin Cities Area Transit System map,
January 1986.
Standards, procedures and guidelines for competitive procurement of
public transit services,
January 1988.
Anoka County transit study,
January 1988.
Mobility training assessment and recommendations, report to the
Regional Transit Board by the Metropolitan Center for Independent Living,
February 1, 1989.
I-35W Travel Demand Management Program final report,
July 18, 1989.
Twin Cities Metropolitan Area Transit map,
August 1989.
Information packet on public transit and the RTB,
1990.
Information packet on St. Paul public transit,
1990.
1991 Minnesota Transit Report: A guidebook to Minnesota's public
transit systems.
112.J.9.10F
Metro Mobility Service Customer Guide, volume 2,
December 20, 1993.
Metro Mobility News, volume 2, number 1,
April 1994.
The RTB Messenger, volume 6, number 1,
Winter 1994.
Regional Transit Board-Let Us Introduce You:
N. 310-86-078,
August 1986.
N. 550-87-070,
July 1987.
Vision for Transit-Capital and Service Improvements,
1992-1996.
126.J.8.7B
Light rail transit:
Draft final report: Performance audit of the Twin Cities Area
Metropolitan Transit Commission,
December 31, 1992.
1 volume.
Summary of LRT implementation planning program, part II,
January 9, 1985.
Light rail transit regional development and financial plan: draft
report; Executive summary,
January 1990; February 1990.
2 items in 1 folder.
Evaluation of the Regional Transit Board as the lead agency for LRT
implementation (draft),
September 1990.
Light rail transit regional coordination plan,
December 17, 1990.
Information guide on regional light rail transit; Shaping our
future: the facts about light rail transit,
circa 1991; March 1991.
2 items in 1 folder.
Brochures: Transit Options, Citizens' Guide, Light Rail Transit.
Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC) background files:
Files that appear to be background information on MTC projects and programs that
were later (post 1984) run through the RTB.
126.J.8.7B
Budgets,
1990-1992 and 1994.
4 folders.
Bus fleet modernization plan,
1984-1985.
2 folders.
Bus studies and waiting shelter program updates,
1980-1981.
Community development liaison project,
1981-1983.
Community development liaison report,
1981-1984.
Interstate Study Committee correspondence,
1975-1977
Interstate Substitution Task Force,
1978-1986.
4 folders.
Correspondence,
1978-1986.
2 folders.
Meeting summaries,
1981-1986.
Project recommendations,
1978 and 1980.
Sub-Regional Transit Planning Program study (draft),
May 1982.
Transportation Development Program:
Chronological correspondence,
November 1972-October 1983.
4 folders.
Consultant contracts,
1977 and 1980.
Guidelines and policies,
1972, 1983, and 1984 (draft).
3 folders.
Metropolitan Council correspondence,
1977-1978.
Transportation Advisory Board correspondence,
1974-1982.